Callen's Christmas Adventure
by Mulderette
Summary: Christmas cartoons and a fever-induced dream send Callen on a trip to the North Pole.
1. Chapter 1

_Just a silly little idea I came up with and thought I would play with for the Christmas season. Kind of like last year's "A Thanksgiving Tale." Anyhow, hope you like it :)_

xxxxx

"Come on, G, open the door," Sam called out as he stood outside the front door to his partner's house. "I know you're in there. We're going to be late."

There was no answer. Now feeling a little bit apprehensive, Sam pulled his set of keys out from his pocket, found the one key that corresponded to his partner's front door and opened it. "I'm coming in!" he called out as he opened the door. When he did so, he found the front room to be deserted. "Hey G?" he called out once he was inside.

He slowly made his way through the house and hesitated when he found himself outside of his partner's bedroom. He knocked on the door and then cautiously opened it when there was no answer. There he found Callen, in his bed, still fast asleep. His first thought was that he was hungover but when he approached his bed, he saw that G's cheeks were flushed. He put his hand on his partner's forehead and found it to be pretty warm. "Looks like you've got that flu bug that's going around," he said softly. "Hey G?" he gently patted his partner's shoulder. "Come on, buddy. Wake up."

"Go away," Callen mumbled. "I'm sleeping."

"I just need to talk to you for a minute then you can go back to sleep," Sam persisted. Finally he was successful in getting Callen to open his eyes, well at least partially successful. Callen looked up at his partner blearily with his eyes half open.

"What?" Callen asked.

"Did you call into work?" Sam asked.

"No…not yet. I was going to."

"Okay," Sam said with a nod. "I'm going to go make you some tea and call Hetty. You just rest until I get back."

Callen nodded, his eyes already closing. "Thanks, Sam," he murmured.

"You're welcome."

xxxxx

Sam returned about a half hour later to find his friend seemingly at least partly alert. He was sitting up in bed, with his back against the pillows, looking drowsy. "You're awake now?" Sam asked as he placed the tea on the nightstand next to Callen's bed and handed him a plate with some buttered toast on it. "You don't have much in the way of food, G, but you do have bread, at least."

"Thanks," Callen said as he took the plate and nibbled on a slice of toast, but made a face as he swallowed.

"Sore throat?" Sam asked knowingly as Callen nodded. "I called Hetty. She wanted to know your symptoms. I think she thought you were faking to get out of the work Christmas party today."

"Why would I do that?" Callen asked. "I'm fine with the Christmas party. I like it."

"Well, I told her you have a fever so she knows you're really sick. In any case, what are your other symptoms, G?" Sam asked. "And I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, but do you have a thermometer?"

Callen rolled his eyes. "No, I don't have a thermometer. Don't need one. I'm not dying, Sam." He covered his mouth as he coughed and sighed.

"Okay, cough, sore throat and fever," Sam said. "Anything else?"

"I'm just tired and I have a headache."

"Any body aches?"

Callen shrugged. "I don't know…I guess I feel a little big achy."

Sam nodded. "Cough, sore throat, fever, fatigue, headache and body aches. Sounds like the flu to me, G."

"Okay Dr. Hanna, I'll concur with your diagnosis," Callen said as he reached for the tea and took a sip. "Mm… This is good," he said. "Hetty would approve."

"I'm going to make sure you have something more substantial for lunch," Sam said with a grin. "You need to keep your strength up."

"Don't worry," Callen said as he continued to sip the tea. "I'm pretty sure I have some cans of soup in the cabinet."

Sam shook his head. "You're having something better than cans of soup, G. Don't worry. I'll figure it out."

"But…you're not going to be here," Callen said as he finally began to figure out what Sam was saying. He realized he was mentally processing a bit slower than usual.

Sam grinned. "Wrong. I am going to be here. Hetty insisted that I stay here and take good care of my under-the-weather partner, unless something comes up that I'm really needed for."

"But, what about the party, Sam?" Callen asked. "I don't want you to miss that."

"It's okay, G," Sam said. "Maybe I'll head over there at the end of the day, okay?" He really didn't care if he went or not, especially if his partner couldn't go, but he didn't want to upset him when he wasn't feeling well.

"Okay," Callen said, still obviously unhappy about the situation.

"Now, why don't we put this tv to some good use," Sam said as he reached for the remote control and started scanning through the channels. When he came to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," he stopped. "There you go G. You just rest and watch this happy little Christmas show. If you need anything just shout out. I'll be in the living room, okay?"

Callen nodded as he looked back at his friend. "Okay, Sam…thanks." He wasn't really all that comfortable with people taking care of him. Maybe it was because he'd been on his own for most of his life. He just didn't like feeling like he was bothering people, but Sam was always so good about it, as was his family. They never made him feel like he was being a bother.

"No problem, G. Feel better, buddy."

Sam then went out to the car to retrieve his laptop. He brought it back into the house and plugged it into an outlet in the living room. When he peeked into Callen's bedroom, his partner seemed to be fully engrossed in watching the Christmas cartoon. Sam smiled to himself and went back into the living room to get some work done.

xxxxx

Callen spent the morning in bed, watching Christmas specials. After "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," he proceeded to watch "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Year Without A Santa Claus."

Sam went out at around noon to get them some lunch and came back with homemade chicken noodle soup for Callen with a couple of packages of oyster crackers, and a sandwich which Callen declined, but Sam put it into the refrigerator in case he wanted it later. Callen ate his soup, which was loaded with chicken, vegetables and plenty of noodles, then watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman." After that, sleepy, warm and with a full stomach, he turned off the television, burrowed under the covers like a hibernating bear cub, and fell into a sound sleep.

xxxxx

"Ho, ho, ho, time to wake up, youngster!" a voice bellowed practically in his ear. Callen opened his eyes and stared up into the piercing blue eyes of Marty Deeks who was standing over him, but this was not the Marty Deeks he knew. Callen quickly closed his eyes again. This wasn't happening and if he went back to sleep it would all go away. He was pretty cold though and he realized that he was lying in snow.

"Deeks?" Callen asked as he opened his eyes again and stared up at the younger man, except he wasn't the younger man anymore. He was old now with white hair and a long, fluffy white beard. Callen shook his head. "This…this isn't really you, is it?"

"Well, no one calls me Deeks because frankly it's rude," the other man replied. "Santa Deeks it is, my little friend."

Callen grinned. "Did Sam put you up to this?" he asked.

"If you mean Sammy, my head elf, he doesn't like to be referred to as Sam and I'm not sure what you're talking about. "Henrietta, my top security advisor, informed me that you showed up on our Intruder-cam."

Well that made sense at least, Callen thought to himself as he sat up and then slowly got to his feet brushing the cold, wet snow off him. Hetty could definitely be a top security advisor. The part about Sammy did not make sense though. If he was to refer to his partner as Sammy, he'd be in danger of getting punched. Not to mention, in no world would Sam be any kind of an elf. It had to be a different Sam. "So, where am I?" he asked. "Why is it so cold and why is there snow?"

"You're in the North Pole, lad," Santa Deeks answered.

"Yeah, right," Callen said, shaking his head with a smile on his face. At that point though, he started to really take in his surroundings. When he saw the many small multi-colored buildings all covered with Christmas lights, and the merry decorations everywhere, he started to get suspicious. But when he saw the small group of elves, riding by in a sleigh pulled by a reindeer, his heart sunk and he realized that what Deeks had told him could very well be the truth. He was in the North Pole and had no idea how he had gotten here or how he would get back home again.


	2. Chapter 2

_More Christmas silliness. Thanks to those of you who read and commented on the first chapter. I really appreciate it :)_

xxxxx

Deeks studied Callen contemplatively until Callen grew uncomfortable under the other man's gaze. He also couldn't help but notice that Deeks was an awfully skinny Santa. His red, white fur trimmed suit was pretty baggy on him. "Why are you staring at me?" Callen finally asked.

"I'm just waiting," Deeks said.

"Waiting for what?"

"For you to tell me who you are. Customarily, when two people meet, they introduce themselves to each other. I've told you that I am Santa Deeks, but I have no idea who you are."

"I'm Callen."

"Is that your first name or your last name?" Santa Deeks asked.

"Just Callen."

"Like Cher or Beyonce?"

"Yeah sure, whatever," Callen replied.

"Okay then." Santa Deeks nodded, appearing satisfied with the answer. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Ready to go where?" Callen gave Deeks a wary look, not at all sure what to make of any of this.

"Why to the workshop, of course," Santa Deeks said. "Where else would we be going? Why did you even come here if not to see my workshop?"

"Uh…I don't know," Callen said as he shrugged his shoulders. He wanted to just ask how he could return home, but he was afraid of offending this Santa Deeks guy.

"Here's our sleigh now!" Santa Deeks said exuberantly. A red sleigh, completely trimmed in gold and being pulled by a team of six reindeer pulled up in front of them. Two elves were sitting in the driver's seat and when Callen looked twice, he saw that they were Eric and Nell.

"Hey Eric! Hey Nell!" Callen said as he waved to them. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys."

"Do we even know you?" Eric asked, giving Callen a confused look.

"I believe I'm a girl, not a guy," Nell stated coldly, glaring at him.

"Now, now, he's new here. You know what I told the two of you. You really need to try to be friendlier to our visitors," Santa Deeks said. "He doesn't know the rules yet."

"Yes, Santa Deeks," Eric and Nell said in unison.

"What rules, Deeks?" Callen asked. "I just want to go home."

"Santa Deeks."

"What?" Callen asked in confusion.

"You called me Deeks again," Santa Deeks stated. "I told you, I am Santa Deeks. I already explained this to you. It's rude for you to just refer to me as Deeks. Are you asking for me to put coal in your stocking?"

"I don't know, maybe I am," Callen said sarcastically. "Seeing as you never put anything in my stocking, coal would be an improvement."

"Really?" Santa Deeks asked, looking perplexed by what Callen had said. "Nothing at all, ever? Well, I have to admit, that's rather odd. I can't imagine you were bad every year. I'll have to confer with Sammy about that. He keeps all the toy records, the naughty and nice lists, etc., etc., etc. But, we really do need to get this show on the road, Callen. Get into the sleigh. It's getting close to dinner time and Mrs. Claus doesn't like it when I'm late."

Callen reluctantly did as Deeks asked, not really knowing what other choice he had at the moment. He climbed up into the sleigh and Deeks got in beside him, then off they went.

"Are we going to fly?" Callen asked a little bit nervously as he envisioned himself falling out of the sleigh and landing in the cold snowy world below. The sleigh didn't even have any seatbelts that he could see.

Santa Deeks laughed. "No, of course not, lad. I only fly on Christmas Eve. The rest of the year, I get around just like any other normal person."

"In a sleigh?"

"Of course in a sleigh. Cars and the like aren't really practical here. Sleighs and sleds, skis, skates and snowshoes, all are acceptable in Christmas Town."

"I guess everything that begins with an 's'?" Callen asked with a smirk. "So I guess no bicycles, but scooters must be okay?"

From the look on Santa Deeks' face, Callen could see he was not amused so he decided to just be quiet. He sighed and tried to relax as the sleigh raced over the snow. Within a matter of minutes, they arrived at Santa Deeks' workshop. Callen could only stare in wonder when the sleigh pulled up in front of it. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, at least not in real life. It looked like a castle, but it was colorful with multi-colored Christmas lights and adorned with wreaths and giant candy canes. There was a huge Christmas tree in the front yard that glittered with beautiful glass ornaments and a multitude of tiny white lights.

"Come along, don't dawdle," Santa Deeks said as they got out of the sleigh and he ushered Callen up the walkway and in through the front door. When they stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by Kensi. She pretty much looked the same except for the white hair and the very un-Kensi-like wardrobe. She was wearing a colorful print dress with a green apron covered with embroidered candy canes.

"Papa!" Kensi said as she hugged Santa Deeks and gave him a kiss on the lips. "I was beginning to think you had run off with an elf."

"Don't be silly, mama," Santa Deeks said with a grin. "You know I'd never run off anywhere unless you were right by my side."

"And who is this?" Kensi asked, smiling at Callen.

"This is Callen. He just kind of turned up today. I've invited him to have dinner with us. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it's alright. There is always room at our table," Kensi said, smiling brightly, as she reached for Callen's cheek and gently pinched it. "Aren't you a cute little fellow. I'm Kensi Claus, but you can just call me Mrs. Claus."

Callen's cheeks turned bright red as he started to wonder if he had turned back into a little kid, but a glance at his reflection in a nearby mirror on the wall, assured him that wasn't the case. This was just so absurd.

"I hope he remembers that," Santa Deeks said, grinning at his wife. "For some reason he keeps calling me Deeks instead of Santa Deeks."

"Really? How peculiar."

Santa Deeks nodded. "At first, I just thought he was being rude, but now I just don't think he can help himself."

"Well, did you check his records?" Kensi Claus asked.

Santa Deeks shook his head. "No, I was going to talk to Sammy about that tomorrow. Callen claims that I've never given him anything for Christmas."

"Not ever?" Kensi Claus asked, looking horrified. "That just can't be. Perhaps he's a little bit touched in the head?"

"You know, I am standing right here," Callen said, more than a little bit annoyed by their conversation.

"Yes, dear, we can see you," Kensi Claus said. "I suppose you must be hungry? Come along and have some dinner. That will make you feel much better."

"Okay, I guess I am kind of hungry," Callen said. He followed Mr. and Mrs. Claus down a long hallway and finally they arrived at the dining room. There was a long table there with seating for 16 people. Santa Deeks took a seat at the head of the table while the other place setting was down at the foot of the table.

"We're going to need another place setting," Mrs. Claus said.

"Why are you sitting so far away from each other?" Callen asked, perplexed.

"Because that's the way we do it, lad," Santa Deeks said. "Haven't your parents ever told you not to be so inquisitive? You know what they say about curiosity."

"Well, I'm not a cat so I don't think I need to worry," Callen said with a smirk.

"Everybody has their own way of doing things, Callen," Kensi Claus said, sounding like a teacher about to give him a lecture. "You need to be less judgmental. "

"I'm not judgmental," Callen defended, rolling his eyes. "I just thought…"

"Come sit here with me, lad," Santa Deeks interrupted. As Callen did as Deeks directed, Deeks whispered to him. "I find that it's always best to just agree with Mrs. Claus, Callen. I think you'd do well to heed the same advice."

"I know but…"

"Shh…" Santa Deeks said as Mrs. Claus left the room, presumably to get Callen's place setting. "You really need to just listen to us, Callen. Do you really want to have another year without getting any Christmas gifts?"

"Seriously?" Callen asked. "Listen, Deeks."

Santa Deeks shook his head slowly. "Remember lad… It's Santa Deeks."

"Okay, listen Santa Deeks," Callen said, more than a little perturbed by this point. "I really just want to go home. I don't care about Christmas gifts or any of that stuff. You can give me coal or nothing at all. In fact, if you tell me right now how to get home, I'll be out of your hair this instant. You can take me off your Christmas lists and pretend I never existed."

"Oh that's quite impossible, I'm afraid," Deeks said.

"What do you mean, impossible?" Callen asked as a feeling of dread settled over him. Did Deeks mean it was impossible to erase him from the lists or impossible for him to return home?

"Here's your dinner, Callen," Kensi Claus said in a sing-song voice as she re-entered the dining room. "I hope you like fried chicken."

"Mrs. Claus's fried chicken is the best!" enthused Deeks. "With her homemade mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Mm…my mouth is watering just thinking about it."

Kensi Claus placed the plate on the table in front of Callen and he had to admit the food looked delicious. "Thank you," he said. "This really does look good."

Kensi Claus left the room again and came back with plates for her and Deeks and then left one more time and came back with two tall glasses of milk which she placed in front of Callen and Deeks. "Uh thanks." Callen said.

"I find milk goes very well with Mrs. Claus's homemade sugar cookies," Deeks whispered. "She baked them this afternoon. If you eat all your dinner and play your cards right, I bet she'll let you have some for dessert."

Callen sighed as he ate a small forkful of the potatoes. He then looked at Deeks, his blue eyes serious. "So…you were saying before that it was imposs…"

"Callen dear, eat your dinner before it gets cold," Kensi Claus said. "And I'm sure I don't need to tell you, no talking with your mouth full."

"We'd better do as she says, lad," Deeks said. "You're in for quite a treat, indeed."

Callen did as Santa Deeks said and ate his dinner. He had to admit the food was good at least. When he was finished, he looked at Kensi at the other end of the table. "Thanks very much for the dinner, Kens…er Mrs. Claus. It was delicious."

"I'm so glad you liked it, Callen," she said with a smile. "And now, for a treat and because you ate everything on your plate, I'm going to give you and Santa some cookies. I'll be right back."

"So," Callen tried again after Kensi Claus had left the room. "You were saying that it's impossible for me to leave here? There has to be a way."

Deeks nodded. "There is a way, lad, but you're going to have to be patient. I'll take you home on Christmas Eve when I make my deliveries. It's only a few days away."

"That's the only way?" Callen asked, disappointed.

"Most children would consider themselves lucky to be granted this opportunity, Callen," Deeks said. "I don't understand why you don't feel the same way? Is it because I've never given you gifts for Christmas? Like I said, I'll look into it. There must have been some sort of snafu. You don't seem like a bad boy to me."

"In case you haven't noticed…I'm not a child," Callen said, as an unexplainable, overwhelming feeling of sadness suddenly came over him.

"To me, everyone who visits Christmas Town is a child," Deeks said softly as he gently patted Callen's shoulder.

At that point, Kensi Claus came back again, this time with a large plate of cookies. "Let me know if you want any more milk, Callen," she said. "Santa always likes plenty of cold milk with his cookies."

"Thank you," Callen said as he slowly began to munch on the cookies. He glanced at Deeks who was eating them with obvious enjoyment. "So…do I get to see the workshop while I'm here?" he finally asked, not really sure what it was proper to talk to Santa about.

"Tomorrow," Deeks said. "Sammy is home with his family tonight. I'll take you to see him in the morning."

"Okay," Callen said with a nod. He didn't think Sammy was his partner, but things were so weird here that he didn't really know. He hoped it was. For some reason, it would make him feel better if Sam was there though he wasn't really sure what he would think if it was a tiny version of his partner. Just the thought of it made him smirk.

"Something funny?" Santa Deeks asked.

"Uh…no," Callen said. "Just tired, I guess."

"That's understandable. You've had a long day. Why don't I show you to your room so you can get some rest?"

Callen nodded. He then followed Deeks down several long corridors and up a staircase to a whole different part of the castle. Finally, Deeks stopped at a door and opened it. Callen walked into the room to find a very comfortable-appearing king-sized bed with a half dozen fluffy pillows neatly arranged on top of it. "Wow…this is very nice," he said. There was a nightstand next to the bed with a bowl of candy on top which included tootsie rolls and tootsie pops. Looking at them, he suddenly wished he knew how to make the tiny origami creations Sam could make. As he thought about it though, he realized Sam hadn't made those in a very long time.

"There are all different sizes of pajamas and sweats in the dresser." Santa Deeks said. "Help yourself to whatever you need. The bathroom is over there." He pointed to the opposite side of the room. There's an intercom if you need anything. Just press the red button and talk into the speaker. I wouldn't suggest walking around the castle. It's easy to get lost."

Callen nodded. That was fine with him. He honestly had no intentions of walking around the castle.

"Okay then, goodnight Callen," Santa Deeks said softly, his blue eyes intense as he looked back at him. "I know you don't believe it, but I think you're going to have a very merry Christmas this year."


	3. Chapter 3

_I really tried to finish this before Christmas, but was really busy. Better late than never, I suppose. Thanks to those of you who took the time to read and review this silly story. Wishing you all the best in 2018 :)_

xxxxx

Callen slept straight through the night and awoke at 8 a.m. the following morning. His eyes still closed, he reveled in the luxurious comfort of the bed. It wasn't until he opened his eyes that he remembered all that had happened to him. "Still here," he said to himself, feeling more than a little bit disappointed. He had hoped that he'd wake up back in his own house and that Santa Deeks and company would have turned out to be nothing more than a crazy dream. He sat up in bed and stretched as he wondered what his next move should be. He didn't have to worry about it for long though as a knock suddenly sounded on his door.

"Come in," Callen called out. The door opened and once again he encountered the friendly face of Santa Deeks.

"Good morning, lad," Santa Deeks said. "Did you sleep well?"

Callen nodded. "Yes, I did. Thanks."

"I came to see if you would care to join me for breakfast."

"Sure, breakfast sounds good," Callen said, suddenly realizing that he was ravenously hungry.

"Okay, I'll wait for you here if you'd like to go get ready." Santa Deeks walked over to a small ottoman and took a seat while Callen took his clothes from the previous day into the bathroom. He took a quick shower and dressed then went back out into the bedroom a short time later.

"Hmm," Santa Deeks said as he looked him up and down. "We're going to have to bring you to Clothes-R-Us sometime today. You can't keep wearing the same clothes day after day. Mrs. Claus would not approve, not at all."

"Okay," Callen said agreeably, realizing he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He just hoped they had his size, but then again, Santa Deeks and Kensi Claus were regular sized so he figured they must.

"Come along then," Santa Deeks said as he got up from the ottoman and headed out of the bedroom with Callen trailing behind him. They headed back along the twists and turns of the castle corridors and ended up back in the dining room. Mrs. Claus was there to greet them.

"Good morning, Callen." Mrs. Claus greeted him with a smile. "I trust you slept well?"

"I did, thank you, Mrs. Claus," Callen said politely.

"What would you like for breakfast?" she asked.

"Oh, anything is fine," he said, unsure of what these people would even eat for breakfast.

"Papa?" Kensi asked, giving an inquiring look to Santa Deeks.

"I think blueberry pancakes would hit the spot quite nicely, mama," Deeks said, grinning as he leaned in and pressed a kiss onto Kensi Claus' lips.

"Blueberry pancakes it is," Kensi Claus said. "You boys can sit and wait. They won't take long at all." She then hurried off towards the kitchen.

"So, after breakfast, I was thinking we would go see Sammy and you can get a look at the workshop. It's exceedingly busy this time of year. Lots of overtime for the elves," Santa Deeks said.

"I'd like to meet Sammy," Callen said, more than a little bit curious about what he would find.

Santa Deeks nodded. "I'd like to see what records he has on you, as well."

Callen sighed. "It's not really all that important, De…Santa Deeks." He still felt ridiculous calling the detective by that name. "It was a very long time ago…"

"I'd still like to know what we have or rather don't have on you," Santa Deeks responded. "It's important."

Callen just nodded, but didn't say anything else and the two men were quiet until Kensi Claus came into the dining room a short time later carrying a large plate of blueberry pancakes and some maple syrup which she placed on the table. "Dig in, boys," she said. "I'll go get you something to drink."

"Mrs. Claus seems to really like cooking," Callen commented as he piled some pancakes onto his plate. She was certainly a far cry from the Kensi he knew.

"She does and she's an excellent cook," Santa Deeks said. "I don't think there's anything she doesn't know how to make. I'm a very lucky man, indeed."

"Do you have any children?" Callen asked as he doused the pancakes with a generous portion of maple syrup and then dug in. "Mmmm… these are good." He could definitely see why Santa Deeks was so enthralled with Kensi's cooking.

"We like to think of all the world's children as our own," Santa Deeks said enthusiastically.

Callen nodded and the two men were pretty much silent as they ate their breakfast. When they were done, Santa Deeks looked at Callen with a cheery smile on his face. "Are you all set to go see the workshop, Callen?"

"Sounds good to me…Santa Deeks." He still struggled to say those words and could only imagine how real life Deeks would laugh his head off if he heard Callen speaking this way.

"Come along, then." Deeks got up from the table and beckoned to Callen with his hand and they headed out of the dining room. "We're heading to the workshop, Kensi!" Deeks called out.

"Alright, dear. I'll see you later," Kensi called back.

Callen couldn't help wondering what she did all day but this place definitely had a lot of rooms. He imagined just keeping the castle clean and tidy took a lot of time. Or maybe she did laundry for the elves? He smirked at the thought of it and knew that his NCIS teammate would never do such a thing.

Callen and Santa Deeks headed along a long corridor and then down a staircase. At that point, Callen could hear the tune of Jingle Bells accompanied by what sounded like a large group singing. The song was being sung exuberantly and a bit out of tune. "The elves are quite a musical bunch," Deeks called out to Callen so as to be heard above the song. "And here we are." He pointed to a large green and red double door which was trimmed with gold. "My workshop." Deeks then slowly opened the door and they entered into a world unlike anything Callen had ever seen, except perhaps on television or movies.

There were workbenches and toys everywhere with paint, tools, wrapping paper and every color bow one could imagine. The first thing Callen noticed was that not all the elves were small. The majority of them were, but there were some who were larger and those who could even be considered extraordinarily tall or round, but it was Sam or rather Sammy who drew his attention above all others. His partner was dressed in bright red and green striped stockings, a long green tunic lined with white fur with golden buttons and a black belt over it. He also had on a pointed green hat which matched the tunic. Callen stared at him flabbergasted and tongue-tied.

"Sammy!" Santa Deeks called out to him and Sammy approached them, a wide grin on his face.

"Hello, Santa Deeks," Sammy greeted him. "Have you come to check on our progress? It looks like we're right on schedule for Christmas Eve."

"As you always are, my friend," Santa Deeks said. "No, I haven't come to check up on you, although what you say is good to hear. I've come to see if you can do a bit of research on my friend, Callen, here."

"It's nice to meet you, Callen," Sammy extended his hand and shook Callen's hand with a friendly smile. "What exactly are we checking on?"

"Callen here says he's never received any gifts from me at Christmas," Santa Deeks explained. "I find that quite hard to believe, but if there's anything to it, perhaps you could find out why he was overlooked."

"Let's go over to my office then," Sammy said.

"I'm going to go check on the doll brigade," Santa Deeks said. "I'll rejoin the two of you shortly."

"Come along, Callen," Sammy said and Callen followed him to his office. Everything inside it was white with red stripes, the desk, the chairs, the lamps even the file cabinets.

"Wow, do you get dizzy in here?' Callen asked as he took a seat in front of Sammy's desk.

"No, why would I get dizzy?" Sammy asked giving him a puzzled look. He then pressed some keys on a computer keyboard and looked at Callen. "Okay, full name?"

"Do you want my full name, the name I went by as a kid or my most commonly used name?" Callen asked with a slight smirk on his lips.

"Are you being a wise ass?" Sammy asked, not looking the least bit amused.

"I never would have taken you for one of Santa Deeks' elves, Sam…" Callen said.

"Sammy," Sam said, glaring at him. "And why not?"

"Well…look at you. You're not exactly elf-sized."

"And that's an ignorant thing to say," Sammy said. "Do you always judge books by their covers?"

"No, I…"

"People come in all shapes and sizes as do Santa Deeks' elves. I've been doing this job for a very long time and I'm good at it. Just because you were somehow overlooked doesn't give you the right to make remarks about the size of people and their occupations."

"I'm sorry, I just…"

"What was the name you went by as a kid?" Sammy growled, interrupting him.

"G Callen."

"G? Your name was G? Just a letter?"

"Yes…I didn't find out…"

"Fine," Sammy interrupted him again. "And what was your address?"

"I had a lot of addresses," Callen replied, "and I don't remember a lot of them. I was a foster kid. I bounced around a lot."

"I see." At that point, the expression on Sammy's face became less severe. "Can you give me one of them?"

"3769 Oak Street," Callen said. "Look, I'm really sorry I insulted you. It's just…I'm not used to you looking this way."

"What are you talking about?" Sammy asked. "We don't even know each other."

Callen sighed. "Yeah…you're right. I'm sorry."

"Forget it." Sammy focused his attention on his computer screen. "There's nothing under this address. Can you give me another one?"

Callen proceeded to give Sammy five more addresses, none of which were found in the system. "I don't understand this," Sammy said, shaking his head. "It's like you don't even exist."

"The doll brigade is right on top of things," Santa Deeks said as he came into Sammy's office. "Looks like you've got things in tip top shape, as always, Sammy. So, have you managed to find out anything about Callen?"

Sammy shook his head. "Sorry, Santa Deeks. I can't find a thing on him. It's like he's been redacted from all of our files, but I don't see how that's possible."

"Really? I was really hoping there was some logical explanation for this," Santa Deeks said, looking sad. "I guess you really didn't get any gifts all those years. I'm very sorry, Callen."

"It doesn't matter," Callen said. "I just want to go home and all will be forgiven."

"Well, the day after tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I'll bring you home then. Until then, you'll just have to entertain yourself here. I'm going to go check on the reindeer. Do you want to come with me or stay here and help with the toys?"

One look at Sammy's still annoyed expression convinced Callen that staying with him wouldn't be in his best interests. "I'll go with you," he said quickly. He then turned back to his partner. "I really didn't mean to offend you, Sammy. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Sammy replied.

xxxxx

The next couple of days, Callen entertained himself as best he could. After a few more visits to the workshop, he and Sammy were getting along better and one could even say they were on friendly terms. Callen took on the task of feeding the reindeer each day and actually liked the time he spent in the stable on his own. Quicker than he could have expected, it was Christmas Eve day and the atmosphere was charged with excitement as last minute preparations for Santa Deeks' whirlwind journey were being made.

"So, Santa Deeks," Callen said as the two men walked from the stable back to the castle. "I never really understood how a few sacks of toys in your sleigh could somehow be enough for all the children in the world."

"It's Santa's magic, lad," Santa Deeks said. "But I wouldn't really expect you to understand that, seeing as you were neglected Christmas-wise for all those years." His blue eyes were full of obvious regret as he looked at Callen.

"I told you that it didn't matter," Callen said, feeling uncomfortable. He really didn't want to make Santa Deeks feel bad. It wasn't his fault.

"You did tell me that," Santa Deeks said with a nod, "but I still can't help feeling as though I failed you."

"Well, you didn't, so please forget it," Callen said. "It's not your fault I slipped through the cracks."

They entered the castle and no sooner had they done so when Kensi Claus greeted them at the door. "Henrietta is waiting for you in the sitting room."

"Did she say what she wanted?" Santa Deeks asked.

Kensi shook her head, looking a bit worried. "No, she just said she wanted to speak with you…it's about Callen."

"Oh, I see," Santa Deeks gave a quick look in Callen's direction and beckoned to him. "Come along, Callen. We'll see what this is all about." He led Callen down the hall and into the sitting room where Henrietta was waiting for them. She was wearing a navy blue uniform and cap and looked to be all business as she stood up when they entered the room.

"Good morning, Santa Deeks," she said, but her eyes were on Callen. "And you must be Callen."

Callen nodded as he stared back at her, mentally willing her to somehow recognize him. His mental pleas were in vain, however.

"Sammy came to me the other day and explained your situation in detail. I did some digging and found that your records were deliberately wiped clean which resulted in your unfortunate Christmas history."

Callen sighed in frustration. "I keep telling everyone that it doesn't matter. I don't care about my past Christmases. I just want to go home and I'll be happy."

"Don't fret lad. You'll be returning home tonight," Santa Deeks said reassuringly. "Is that all, Henrietta? Because you're not telling us anything that we didn't know. Talk of this nature just seems to upset Callen."

"I just wanted to give you fair warning, Santa Deeks," Henrietta said. "His past seems to have somewhat of an unsavory element to it. I do think the sooner he leaves Christmas Town, the better off we'll all be."

Santa Deeks shook his head. "I don't think his past is a current concern, Henrietta. Callen here was the victim of circumstances, none of which were his fault. I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt. In any case, as I said, I will be taking him home tonight so there's no need for you to worry."

Henrietta nodded. "As you wish, Santa Deeks," she said. "Please just understand that I would be remiss in my duties if I hadn't informed you of this."

"Understood, Henrietta," Santa Deeks said. "I appreciate the information."

Without another word, Henrietta marched out of the room leaving Callen feeling a bit bereft that the woman who was like a mother to him had barely acknowledged his existence, except in a negative way.

"Chin up, Callen," Deeks said cheerily. "Tonight you'll be going home and before that, you'll be treated to the annual kick off Christmas show. The elves put on quite the shindig and you haven't lived until you've seen Sammy dance his Christmas jig."

"Sammy dances a jig?" Callen asked, smirking in spite of himself. He had to admit, that was something he really didn't want to miss.

xxxxx

The Christmas show turned out to go well beyond Callen's expectations. For over an hour, he watched, enthralled as the elves performed holiday skits, danced and sang and put on a real musical extravaganza. Eric and Nell had prominent roles and Sammy's jig was the hit of the show with the audience clapping loudly as Sammy jigged faster and faster. "That was really great," Callen said, grinning at Santa Deeks as they headed back to the castle.

"I told you it was good. Every year the show seems to be even better than the one before," Santa Deeks said. He was holding Kensi's hand and the two looked very happy and in love. For the first time, Callen actually felt a tiny twinge of regret that he would be leaving these people behind.

"And now it's time for our big Christmas dinner," Santa Deeks said. "Elves have been cooking up a storm all day long. You're in for a treat, lad."

Santa Deeks did not exaggerate. Callen had never seen so much food in one place before. There was turkey, prime rib, ham, lasagna, scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, stuffing, corn, carrots, green beans, broccoli, cranberry sauce, rolls and all kinds of desserts, chocolate cream pie, Boston cream pie, cherry pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, blueberry pie and pecan pie. There were also cookies, brownies and other assorted pastries. He ate until he was afraid he was going to burst.

After dinner, they rested their stomachs for a bit and then headed to the sleigh where a big crowd awaited them to see them off. "Good luck to you, Callen," Sammy said as he wrapped up the smaller man in a big bear hug. "I've got to admit you rubbed me the wrong way when we first met, but you really grew on me. I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Sammy," Callen said, smiling at him.

He then said his goodbyes to Eric and Nell and some of the other elves who he had become friendly with over the past few days. Finally it was time to say goodbye to Kensi Claus. "Oh, I am going to miss you, Callen," Kensi said as she kissed each of his cheeks with tears in her eyes and then hugged him tightly. "Perhaps our paths will meet again one day."

"I hope so," Callen said sincerely as he returned her embrace. "Thank you so much for everything. Santa Deeks is a very lucky man."

"You're too sweet, now go before I turn into a blubbering mess," she said. She then hugged her husband tightly and they said a few private words before they kissed and Santa Deeks came back to join Callen.

"All set, lad?" Santa Deeks asked, his eyes sparkling merrily.

"All set, Santa Deeks," Callen said with a smile.

xxxxx

Santa Deeks' and Callen's journey was pure magic. Callen lost his fear of the night flight in the open sleigh almost immediately and found the trip through the starlit sky to be exhilarating. They traveled everywhere, to parts of the world he had never seen before, but what should have taken an endless amount of time was accomplished in a mere few hours. Finally, seemingly all too soon, Santa Deeks landed the sleigh on Callen's front lawn.

"Wow…you really did it," Callen said, staring with a bit of disbelief at his house.

"Did you doubt I would, lad?" Santa Deeks asked with a grin on his face. "Never doubt the power of Santa Deeks and Christmas magic."

"Well…I don't know what to say," Callen said. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me over the past few days. It was an experience I'll never forget."

"It truly was my pleasure, Callen," Santa Deeks said, smiling brightly. "It was very nice getting to know you and having you stay with us. Feel free to come back any time."

"I wouldn't even know how to," Callen admitted. "I don't know how I got there in the first place."

"Just wish hard enough and it will all come true," Santa Deeks said. "For now though, I must get back to Christmas Town. Merry Christmas, Callen. May this Christmas and all your future Christmases be bright."

"Merry Christmas, Santa Deeks." Callen then watched as Deeks and his team of reindeer took off and flew off into the night, waving until they had totally disappeared from sight.

xxxxx

"Hey G? G, wake up."

Callen moaned softly and tried to ignore the voice calling him, but it was persistent. "Come on, wake up, buddy."

Callen finally opened his eyes and yawned as he looked sleepily up at Sam. "Sammy? What are you doing here?"

"Really G? Sammy?" Sam asked with a slight chuckle. He reached down and felt Callen's forehead. "Well you don't feel any warmer than you did earlier. You've been sleeping for three hours straight. How are you feeling?"

Callen shifted and burrowed himself a little bit deeper under the covers. I'm good, Sam," he said, still obviously not feeling his best. "I feel better, just kind of tired. You should head back to work, go to the party."

Sam looked at Callen, obviously conflicted and then he nodded. "Okay, G. I'll do that. I'll head over to the party.

"Good," Callen said as he allowed his eyes to close once again. "Tell everyone I said hello and Merry Christmas."

"I will, G…you get some sleep."

xxxxx

Callen slept for another couple of hours and awoke in total darkness. He reached for the lamp on his bedside table and sat up in bed feeling a little groggy and thirsty. He noticed that Sam had left him a fresh bottle of water and he opened it up and took a few long slips. It was then that he heard a noise coming from the living room. His heart sped up and he quickly opened up the top drawer of the nightstand and pulled out his gun. He was about to get out of bed when his door opened. He aimed his gun and then rolled his eyes when Sam walked into the room. "Really, Sam? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he asked as he put the gun back into the drawer. "I thought you went to the party."

"I did," Sam replied. "The food was really good so I decided to bring you back some dinner. Come on. I'll heat it up for you."

"I can heat it up myself," Callen said, but he willingly got out of bed and followed his partner out of the bedroom. When they entered the living room, he stared in shock at the brightly lit tree in the center of his living room where Kensi and Hetty stood smiling at him.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Callen," Hetty said. "I trust you are feeling better? You don't look bad at all."

"Merry Christmas, Hetty…" Callen said as he stared at the tree. "I don't understand…"

"Come now, Mr. Callen," Hetty said. "It's a Christmas tree. It's not really such a big deal, is it?"

"Hetty's right, Callen," Kensi said. "Why don't you sit on the sofa?"

Callen did as Kensi suggested and sank down on his newly acquired piece of furniture. Hetty then took down the plush throw from the top of it and covered him up.

"I'm going to go fix you some dinner, G," Sam said with a grin, leaving his partner in the capable hands of Hetty and Kensi.

Just then, the doorbell sounded. "I've got it," Kensi said, smiling mischievously. She returned, moments later followed by Deeks who was dressed up in full Santa Claus garb.

"Ho, ho, ho!" Deeks boomed as he entered the living room. "Merry Christmas, Callen."

Callen stared at Deeks as if he'd seen a ghost. "Santa Deeks, is that really you? Where did you come from?" he asked in a whisper. "I thought you went home."

"Of course it's me, lad," Deeks said. "Who else would it be? And I've come directly from the North Pole."

"I just…I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Again?" Deeks shared a worried look with Kensi and he tugged the white beard down from his face. "It's me, Callen," Deeks said. "How high is his fever?" he asked.

Hetty went over to Callen and gently felt his forehead. "He's not too warm," she said. "Mr. Callen, perhaps you should return to bed?"

"I'm all right, Hetty," Callen said, looking more than a little bit embarrassed. "I…I was just kidding around. I know its Deeks."

At that point, Sam came back into the room holding a plate and a bottle of water which he passed on to his partner. "Here you go, G. There's a plateful of desserts and treats also, but you've got to be a good little boy and eat all your dinner first."

Callen stared at Sam with a quizzical look, but he didn't say anything and instead silently began to eat his food. "Thanks. This is really good."

"Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones wanted to join us also," said Hetty as she took a seat beside him, but I wasn't sure how you were feeling and didn't want to overwhelm you with visitors. They hope you feel better and wish you a Merry Christmas."

Callen nodded. He knew that Eric and Nell were leaving the following day to go spend Christmas with Nell's family. He ate a bit more food, but was full before he got even halfway through what Sam had given to him. "I guess I don't get any dessert tonight," he said as he smiled at his partner and put the plate aside.

"Do you want some?' Sam asked, pretty sure that G was done with food for now.

"No, I'm good," Callen said with a quick shake of his head. He then covered up his mouth as he yawned and everyone could easily see that he had had enough festivities for one evening.

"I think it's about time we got going," Hetty said. "I left you a tin of tea on your kitchen countertop. It's supposed to have good medicinal qualities and should help you sleep if you're having trouble."

"Thank you, Hetty."

"So, we'll see you on Christmas, G," Sam said. He and his wife were hosting a dinner that the whole team was going to attend. "But I'll check in with you tomorrow."

"As will I," Hetty said as she got up from the sofa. "Continue to rest and drink plenty of fluids. That's the best thing for you."

"I will," Callen said as he made a move to get up from the sofa.

"Just stay put, G," Sam said, grinning at his partner. "I think we can find our way to the front door."

"Okay…thanks for the tree and everything," Callen said. "I really appreciate it."

"No big deal," Sam replied.

Goodbyes were then said and Deeks called out "Ho ho ho" as they left the house which caused Callen to have a baffled expression on his face.

xxxxx

After everyone had left, Callen went and got a couple of pillows from his bedroom. He then stretched out on the sofa and just laid there, gazing at the tree. It really was beautiful and he was secretly glad that the team had brought it for him. He knew that he had very good friends. He had to admit it was very peaceful just lying there, looking at it as he got more and more sleepy. Finally, he let himself drift off to sleep once again and when he had, he found himself lucky enough to once again return to the wonderful world of Christmas Town.


End file.
